ID4 gene polymorphism and osteoporosis in Thai menopausal women.

Background : The inhibitor of DNA binding 4 (ID4) protein regulates osteogenic and adipogenic cell fate and lack of ID4 gene expression decreased osteoblast differentiation. Variant in the ID4 gene polymorphism has not been reported with osteoporosis. Objective : To identify whether ID4 can be a marker gene for osteoporosis in Thai menopausal women. Material and Method : The 3’UTR of ID4 (rs3798339) single nucleotide polymorphism was examined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method (PCR-RFLP), together with lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) in 160 Thai menopausal women. Results : Lumbar spine 3 (L3) had a significantly lower BMD score in women with the TT genotype, compared with the CT+CC genotypes (p = 0.037). This disappeared after the adjustment of various factors. Conclusion : The polymorphism at 3’UTR of ID4 gene can alter ID4 mRNA stability, and may be linked to the function of proteins. However, this needs confirmation in larger populations. The present study is useful as an initial investigation into ID4 gene polymorphism in osteoporosis. Keywords : ID4, Single nucleotide polymorphism, Menopausal women, Osteoporosis